


The meeting

by Silent_Wolf



Series: Inaccurate legends [1]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Lydia's POV, Male Dovahkiin | Dragonborn - Freeform, One Shot, Whiterun Guard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-10
Updated: 2015-03-10
Packaged: 2018-03-17 06:04:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3518165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silent_Wolf/pseuds/Silent_Wolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lydia's first meeting with the Dragonborn is not ideal, not by a long shot. Firstly, because it doesn't seem like he's going to show up at all. And lastly, because there's an annoying Imperial here who won't leave her alone, and who seem to find everything highly amusing…</p>
            </blockquote>





	The meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Warnings: This fic is unbeta'd and written in one go, so please watch out for mistakes, grammatical errors, and general horridness.
> 
> Author's Note: This is my first go at publishing a fic, so all constructive criticism is happily accepted.  
> But reviews of all kind is nice too. Except flames. Those will be used to grill marshmallows.
> 
> R&R people!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing except the fic itself, which is really only a fidget of my imagination put on paper.
> 
> Enjoy!

* * *

 

When she was first told she was chosen to be the  _Dragonborn's_  housecarl, Lydia immediately envisioned a strong hardy Nord with a penchant for strong skyforge steel and heavy armor.

 

Therefore, in her opinion, she could be excused for so easily overlooking the scrawny Imperial who approached after the Jarl had stopped talking about dragons and greybeards. After all, she had been standing nearby the door, and therefore hadn't been able to see exactly  _who_  Jarl Balgruuf had been talking to.

After all, in all the legends she had been told as a child, the Dragonborn had always been a Nord. At least she had always envisioned a Nord when she heard the tales of the ultimate dragonslayer. She would think of him as a strong, fair-skinned, light-haired Nord with kind and determined sapphire-blue eyes, who would save Skyrim from dragons.

Which kind of explained why she didn't actually consider that the dark-haired, brown-eyed  _Imperial_  in guard's armor was anything else than an odd guard, (because she hadn't really seen an Imperial guard in the city before) and therefore didn't spare him much thought save for a raised eyebrow at the ancient looking bow slung over his shoulder, and the lack of the customary guard's helmet.

 

Lydia's raised eyebrow climbed higher however, when the unremarkable-looking Imperial's steps seemed to be purposely going in her direction instead of towards the door as she had initially assumed he would be headed.

For a split-second the thought that he might need directions or something similar crossed her mind, because why else would he approach her? But she then dismissed the idea, because really, if he was a guard  _of course_  he knew his way around the city he most likely patrolled each and every day.

 

But the question remained, and Lydia briefly wondered why he would approach her when they obviously had no business concerning one another. Then a horrible feeling of unease overcame her because what if he wanted to ask her out or something in that direction? She knew she occasionally 'caught' someone's eye, and even if it was nice to know she looked good enough to do that from time to time, she was too socially awkward for any relationship. She had had a few short-term relationships in the past, sure, but they never actually worked out in the end. She was yet to have a lasting long-term relationship.

By the time it took for the (actually slightly handsome, now that she could see his face better) Imperial to come over to her, she was almost positive he was planning to ask her out, or at least stay and flirt for a while. So she decided to take the necessary measures to push him away  _now_  before she ended up in  _another_  relationship doomed to fail because of her inability to be  _normal_.

So when the guy stopped before her and opened his mouth, (probably to start on the flirting, saying she looked beautiful or some other nonsense) she decided to quickly beat him to it before he could start.

 

"Look," she started, easily stopping him in his tracks. "I'm waiting for someone really important, and…" she briefly stopped, partly because she was wondering what she should say to make him leave and go on with his business, and partly to look over the Imperial's shoulder, because shouldn't the Dragonborn have finished chatting with the Jarl already? "…And he's more important than you'll ever be." There, an insult. Male pride would make sure he lost whatever interest he might have in her. "So why don't you just scurry off and continue on with your patrol?"

She half expected him to stomp off angrily, muttering obscenities at her under his breath like the last guy she had told off, a few months ago or so (a bard, if her memory served her correctly). But what she certainly didn't expect in response to her obvious rejection was a raised eyebrow and a charming grin.

 

The Imperial smirked at her and leaned in closer before responding; "Oh? And who would have the pleasure to be so important in your eyes that you can't even exchange a few words with silly, unimportant me?" his eyes and tone did absolutely nothing to hide his obvious amusement.

Lydia was more or less thrown of her game. But she collected herself quickly, and sent the guy a calculating look. Clearly a few insults weren't going to throw him of  _his_  game, so she decided the truth would suffice. After all, if the guy thought his 'competition' was the Dragonborn himself, surely he would back down. Not that she had any plans becoming romantically involved with her newly-appointed Thane, but the Imperial didn't have to know that.

"The Dragonborn, actually. So if you would excuse me, I think I need to go find him now…" Lydia would have thought that to be an obvious dismissal, especially as she started walking towards the stairs that would lead her to the dining tables, and ultimately give her a better view of the people present.

 

However, before she could take even three steps towards the stairs, the Imperial grasped her arm, easily stopping her in her tracks. "Hey, hold on a minute." He started as he turned her around to look at him. "I've got a better idea." She raised a dubious eyebrow, starting to feel a stab of annoyance at the Imperial's obvious ignorance of her rejection, and that he seemed to find the whole situation  _amusing_. She herself couldn't fathom why.

She decided to play along on this, if only to wipe that smug grin of his face. "What." The answer however was still so flat and dry it probably wouldn't count as a question anywhere.

 

But her not-really-a-questioning-answer didn't seem to face the Imperial at all; he just put his right arm around her shoulders before she could protest and turned her around. Still standing pressed into her left side with his arm around her shoulders, he pointed with his left arm at a guard who was walking down the stairs she had intended to go up less than a minute ago.

"That guard was just up there where you seem to think the Dragonborn is," the Imperial pointed out for her, grin evident in his voice. "So why don't we just ask him?" He questioned, beckoning the guard to come closer when he spotted them.

 

Lydia however, was quietly wondering whether she at this point was above bashing the Imperial with her shield. Anything to get away from that smug face and the ever-amusement in his voice that she felt was somehow at her expense. She also briefly wondered whether she would get fired from throttling the Dragonborn for making her suffer through this while she waited. If he _ever_  showed up, of course.

When the guard stopped before them, the Imperial  _finally_  released her shoulders in favor of taking a step forward to speak to the other guard.

 

"Hello good sir, may I take a moment of your time to ask you a most important question?" The Imperial asked, in the very image of politeness. Lydia held back a snort of laughter, because  _really_.

 

The guard however, didn't seem at all faced by the show of exaggerated politeness. He just answered with what would be an unforgettable phrase:

"Whatever you need, Dragonborn. Just say the word."

 

Three things happened after that.

 

The Imperial who proved to be the Dragonborn exploded with laughter at the look of utter disbelief and shook on Lydia's face.

 

The unnamed guard continued on with his patrol, wondering whether or not he should have proposed to buy the good-looking woman a drink. He thought she had looked like she needed one. Or five.

 

Lydia found out that she _wasn't_  in fact going to be fired if she tried to throttle her Thane. If only because he claimed to the Jarl that the whole thing was his fault. Which in her opinion, it  _was_.


End file.
